This quote from Dan Neil's recent Wall Street Journal column review of a hybrid Camry was spot on for me:

"For all the blood on the floor over 0-60 times and lateral G-force, consumers are far more likely to ditch their cars because of aching backs or because the touch screens are fidgety." Dan Neil WSJ

It was my aching back. The seats in the 2006 RL enabled me to drive for an hour without discomfort. AWD was not on my mind at the time of purchase as I also own an AWD truck. The seats on my present RLX are likewise good to my back. If they were not, I would not have bought the car.

BTW, Neil's comments about fidgety touch (or mouse driven) screens is right on. My wife's RX350 has a terribly fidgety mouse control that is annoying. 0-60 times are important, but not as important as the " daily living with it" stuff IMHO. This is why I'm slowly talking my bride into a MDX Advance so we can have common interface platforms with all the cognitive processing stuff in the same place (active cruise control, radio controls, wiper controls, etc.) and with good seats, too!

Anyone else here who originally bought the top end Acura sedans for their back?

 

No, not really. I went from a 2006 Accord 6-6 HFP Coupe --> 2010 Acura TL 6-6 SH-AWD --> 2014 Acura RLX Advance --> 2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid Advance.

So I've gone a good bit with seats designed by the same teams for the same people.

I'll tell you what, though: I am in full collaboration and sympathy with your comments about the Lexus mouse.

If we complain too much about the Acura and Honda dual-screen infotainment management systems, we need to go try to control that Lexus mouse for a bit.

:-)

I think the LS460 is a tremendous car for the money, but that mouse would still drive me up the wall.

 

George, I am with you step for step on the Lexus mouse issue. It is a poor design. My bride likes the size and ride of the RX. It rides better than our son's RDX while being a wee bit bigger. The upcoming RX is rumored to be a 7 passenger and, if so, would likely be the size of a MDX. Interestingly, the local Lexus dealer has a large, posh, multi-room customer waiting area whereas the local Acura dealer's waiting room is a cramped corner area, worn and dated. Believe it or not, the waiting room is the part of the equation holding her back from agreeing to switching over to a future MDX. Here is another area where Acura once held an advantage twenty years ago, but has been squandered over the years.

 

07 TL Type-s just because i heard so much about it and how awesome it was and i needed a daily beater. the car is sooooo average its not funny. its not comfortable, its not fast, it doesnt handle well. not sure what the hype is all about. oh it was cheap and gets the job done for a beater.

 

People only give the dual-screen infotainment system grief because it's something different/unique. As with anything different, it just takes time to get used to. Nearly every complaint I've heard about the technology has come from a perspective of familiarity/relearning.

 

I'm used to the dual screen system now. Took about ten days.

The problem in the RLX is the buggy interface system between the two screens. We are hoping a software upgrade fixes this.

As to the topic, I didn't purchase an Acura because of back issues. I purchased because they are Hondas.

I bought a 2G TL after several years driving two Chrysler products (never again! Unreliable POSs. ), and THAT was a break after three Civics. The TL looked good, drove well, was comfortable. Further, it was a Honda. In short, a nice "entry level" luxury car for a newly minted physician. No tranny problems with that car. That was followed by a 3G TL, 57k miles of awesome driving goodness, then a 2G RL, which I had for 2 1/2 years and 35k miles.

Became disillusioned with Acura after they considered a Mugen V8 Legend based on the 2G RL/4G Legend, and scrapped it. I would have paid top dollar for one! Instead became enamored of the 2G CTS-V and thus my love affair with Corvette-engined RWD tweener-sized luxury cars began, and continues with my V wagon.

Now, the RLX Sport Hybrid. Leased because I was interested in the new tech, and because it fixed my issues with the RL before it. I like it so far. Too early to tell whether it will be 3G TL good, still in honeymoon period, but looking promising. The seats are really soft, great for those with bad backs, for sure.

 

[QUOTE=George Knighton;15294498]No, not really. I went from a 2006 Accord 6-6 HFP Coupe --> 2010 Acura TL 6-6 SH-AWD --> 2014 Acura RLX Advance --> 2014 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid Advance.

George
If you don't mind me asking did you take a big hit when you went from the 2014 RLX Paws to SH Awd? I guess it may depend on whether you buy or lease? I always buy my cars outright, but I am interested in maybe a 2016. I would of brought the SH AWD but the dealer told me he did not know when or if it would come out so I went with the Paws, which I have no problems with the car to date. The SH AWD came out a month after I brought mr car.

 

Oh, yes. :-)

The dealer did the very best he could do with both the RLX trade in and the price of the Sport Hybrid, but there was no realistic way to think I'd avoid a loss on the RLX Advance.

I watched the sale of my old car, however, using the dealer's iOS application.

They did *better* for me than they should have because I watched the list price of my old car drop as the weeks went by.

They finally sold it but for (literally!) thousands less than they gave me for it.

So there's no hard feelings or second thoughts.

Perhaps I should not have bought the RLX Advance. At the time, the Sport Hybrid was still over the horizon, and people were speculating that it was aether-ware, or that when it arrived it had to cost over 80 grand to have the technology and features on it that they were talking about.

The huge discount on the RLX Advance made it seem like a decent purchase and a comfortable and feature rich commuter for the money. :-)

I told them at the time that I'd probably still want a Sport Hybrid if it ever showed up.

They remembered and called me the day they got it.

Here's to hoping they forget about me as they're unloading their first NSX!

 

I didn't buy this car because of any back problems but have found the seats very comfortable for me. I do have one small gripe with them though. The front of the seat needs more support for my legs. Particularly in the Advance, I find myself with more time not on the pedals [because of the brake hold, ACC, LKAS etc.]. In this arrangement, my thighs don't feel supported by the front of the seat, My RL had a bigger front bolster [or deeper seat] so the front of my legs were better supported.

 

I have the same (small) gripe with the lack of support at the front of the seat. Otherwise, the seats are wonderfully comfortable, every bit as good as in my '06 RL.

 

Sound like it needs a powered seat extender like some of the other brand, I have one in the front driver seat of my Avalon.

 

I have very long legs, though I'm only 5'10". Lack of thigh support is a chronic issue for me in cars. I make it up in the RLX, as I do in other cars, by raising the seat. The RLX seats are still pretty comfy.

 

So many people say this and I cannot figure out why I don't feel the same way.

Perhaps I sit closer the ground.

 

I got into my 2006 TL 6spd cause it was an Acura and I wanted to take a nice "step up" from my old beaten Integra while still staying in the brand.

I moved to the RLX for the exact same reasons: upgrade in the brand.

The difference by far is that with my TL, I didnt feel ANYTHING was missing or wrong with that car. Absolutely phenomenal car. The RLX while an upgrade, definitely issues and things missing IMO. And I think that's why it irks me soo much. Paying $30k more for an experience that should have been just as good as the previous experience. I call it maintaining quality and satisfication as you move up in the line of products.

Still love my RLX, but it doesnt get the 100% satisfication rating I had with my TL.

 

Not quite there but understand completely what you are saying....I wish the car had adjustable suspension (would fix ride), 360 deg camera, heated steering, headlight washers, N/V built in to the HUD, hands free trunk opening, apple car play, and self parking. You?

 

I've posted my list of wants/desires/wishes for the MMC in another thread. Some of which are on your list.

But for the record:

Likes:
*Interior
*Steering (love the drive-by-wire feel)
*Steering wheel feel and design (best Acura has made yet)
*Steering wheel input controls
*P-AWS
*Exterior styling (while I would like to see some "refinement", I have always loved the look of the RLX)
*Overall driving experience (minus the suspension)
*Laser-like driving response (minus the suspension)
*Exterior lighting (love the rear LED lights)
*Quite cabin design
*ACC/LKAS/FCW/CMBS
*Overall cockpit/dash design, iconology, and lighting
*Seating comfort
*Heated/Ventilated seats
*Interior color design and scheme (Seacoast)

Wishes/Improvements:
*Adjustable suspension
*Addition of IDS
*9spd ZF transmission (was very impressed with it in the V6 TLX)
*Faster processor for NAV/Infotainment
*Workflow and UI improvements for NAV/Infotainment
-->Fix list/scrolling bugs
-->Fix traffic iconology colors
-->Cleaner graphic design (think iOS8. clean, flat, simple)
*Automatic Trunk Door
*Rear A/C controls
*HUD included in Advanced trim
*Remote start included in Advanced trim
*Door sill trim lighting included in Advanced trim
*Interior lighting options (ability to keep footwell lighting always on)
*Additional sport rim options

 

I like the list, but you forgot the dilithium crystals since it already has the 88 gigawatts. However the Sport button gives us warp speed so we can take on the Death Star. That is the best I can do on the humor side. Drive safely today.

 

I'm curious if you felt that this transmission shifted harshly.

There was one relatively low down shift (2-3?) that always seemed to go slightly wrong with the car that I had for three days.

 

For MMC: PLEASE do not forget to fix the crazy scrolling bug in the NAV map, where you lose control of the cursor when you scroll while the car is moving. I hate to complain about this fantastic car, but this bug is slowly driving me crazy....

 

I got in in because I like it a LOT (even with the niggles...) and here it is. Advance model with all options (did not get illuminated sill), including remote start. Did not install side moldings even though I have it. Also Expel Ultimate, several coats of CG seal, etc...I am looking for Acura to keep updating this model and improve the next one.

 

Now that is one bad ass car. Silver looks so good on Acuras.

 

I actually did George. And it was exactly the 2nd to 3rd gear shift. It appeared to be tied very closely to how much throttle you were giving the car. It seemed to be most prevalent when just accelerating at what I would call a fairly normal pace. But if you gave the car any level of "juice", it seemed to smooth it over and shifting felt natural and smooth. I think I recall seeing others complaining about this issue as well? Reminds me of the old 3G TL 3rd gear / 4th gear slippage TSB that involved replacing the entire transmission. It was the ONLY issue I ever experienced with my old 3G TL.

Aside from this 2nd/3rd gear shift issue, I really enjoyed how quick and response the 9spd ZF transmission was in using the pedals. Very quick, very smooth, never hesitated once. And I had a few opportunities where I really put it to the test in a somewhat isolated/abandoned technology/business park area not far from the dealer that some of the reps like to take the demo cars for a good "run". You'd a thought they built the circular loop road to be a damn race track (hills and tight curves included). From what I experienced in the TLX, I would love to see how it performs with the extra 20HP in the RLX P-AWS.

 

Looking great Zoommer!

 

Did you figure out how to automatically start in Sport Mode?

:-)

 

You have the exterior/interior combination that I usually buy.

But the one white car that I got was the only car the dealer was ever going to get!!

I've got used to it, and it's fine, but left to my own devices I'd have bought your combination.

 

The color selection was quite difficult but I did get lucky. I wanted Forged Silver but got Silver Moon. Oh well. I am liking it a lot.

 

Something that annoys me slightly is that with my Seacoast interior, the upper dashboard is a sort of dark grayish or taupe color. It's not black.

If you get an Ebony interior, your upper dashboard cover is also Ebony.

The reason they give for having the odd color upper dashboard cover on lighter colored interiors is that it doesn't show dust as badly.

But some people notice that it's kind of off and not really black.

 

Got into my '06 RL from an RSX Type S because I went to buy an RDX because I wanted SH-AWD and took my G/F with me, and she ended up getting the RDX, and the salesman practically gave me an RL they had sitting on the lot for awhile, and gave me almost as much as I paid for my RSX Type S a year earlier...in short I got a killer deal.

 

Wow that Silver Moon RLX looks good, Zoomer. Wanna trade? I love black but keeping it clean is an impossibility--the main reason I usually buy silver.

 

In the RLX?

 

No. You can't do it in the RLX.

But you can configure the TLX V6 IDS to start up in Econ, Normal or Sport.

i didn't try starting in Sport - Plus, and I suspect it mightn't stick in that mode.